GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 01: Michael Smith #80 of the Connecticut Huskies attempts to make a catch over Jamell Fleming #32 of the Oklahoma Sooners during the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on January 1, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Smith;Jamell Fleming
Photo: Christian Petersen, ST

The Blue team's Michael Smith catches a pass near the endzone and runs for a touchdown during the second half of the UConn spring football game at Rentschler Field in East Hartford Saturday Apr. 17, 2010.
Photo: Autumn Driscoll, ST

STORRS -- He could stay on the team, but there were conditions, and Michael Smith had to follow them to the letter. He would practice, as hard as he could, with the scout team. He had to attend mandatory study hall. He had to get his grades back to not just being eligible, but good enough for the head coach. Levels of trust had been broken and Smith had to repair the damage if he ever wanted to put the Connecticut uniform back on again.

So, Smith became the best scout team player he could. He went all-out on special teams. He did everything he could to show his commitment to the coaching staff and his teammates. And when the year was over and the grades were good enough, Michael Smith got his uniform back and got his second chance.

"I have to take advantage of this," he said.

Earlier, during practice, Smith, a senior receiver, had been flying around the field, catching deep balls from starting quarterback Chander Whitmer, going over the middle and fighting through traffic to gather in throws from backups Johnny McEntee and Scott McCummings. Two seasons ago, Smith caught 46 passes for the Huskies, for 615 yards and two touchdowns. And with the departures of both Kashif Moore and Isiah Moore, Smith's return can't come at a better time.

"We need Mike to have a really good year for us, we really do," head coach Paul Pasqualoni said.

Stretching the field was hard at times last season for the Huskies. Isiah Moore and Kashif Moore were the only two reliable receivers with 43 and 41 catches, respectively. If UConn expects opponents to not stack the box and take away the run game, having a solid passing attack will be necessary.

That's where Smith comes in.

"I'm going to do whatever it takes," Smith said. "I can go deep, but I excel more when I catch the ball and get yards after the catch, yards after the contact. Going across the middle ¦ it's an opportunity to make a play."

Four years ago, Smith broke into the Huskies lineup as a true freshman, catching 12 passes for 137 yards. As a sophomore, he made 15 receptions for 170 yards. Then came the 46-catch, 615-yard season -- including four receptions against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl -- that made him the team's top receiver, setting the stage for Smith to have a big-time senior season.

But rather than fly high, Smith crashed and burned. His grades dropped, making him ineligible. Pasqualoni told him that he could stay on the team ¦ but he had to prove himself worthy.

"It wasn't a tough decision at all (to sit out and focus on academics) because once coach Pasqualoni said that I could come back, I knew what I had to do to get back on the football field," Smith said. "I couldn't slack off again and still be ineligible because I had lost the trust of the coaching staff, so I had to get my eligibility back and regain some of that trust."

So Smith busted his tail on the practice field. He was UConn's special teams player of the week leading up to the South Florida game on Oct. 15, and he was the offensive scout team player of the week for the Rutgers game on Nov. 26.

"I had to keep going out in practice and improving every day," Smith said. "Coach expects a lot out of me and I expect a lot out of myself. I know what I can do on the field. I had a decent season, two seasons ago, and coming back, I'm even hungrier to get back on the field and have a great year." Someone else expecting Smith to have a great year is Whitmer.

"He can be special," the quarterback said. "He's ready to go. This is his last year and he wants to show just how good he can be. He's a tough guy. Very fast. He'll go up and get the ball. He catches anything around him. And with the ball in his hands, he makes plays."

And Smith is determined to make a lot of plays this season.

"Definitely," he said. "Coming into this season, you set personal goals, and one of my goals is to have at least 60 receptions this season. I had 46 my junior year and I missed some time and some opportunities. My job is to capitalize on those mistakes that I missed my junior season. I've always had opportunities on the football field, but there's even going to be more opportunities now and I have to take advantage of all of them."